Police did kill Blair Peach: Report says officers lied over death

A Met riot squad officer killed Blair Peach with a blow to the head during a demonstration and fellow policemen lied to cover it up, a report kept secret for 31 years reveals today.

His family welcomed publication of an internal report written shortly after his death following an anti-racism demonstration in Southall. But they are angry that the names of the police suspects, members of the Special Patrol Group, were not released.

This afternoon a former officer at the centre of the allegations denied he or his men had killed Mr Peach. Alan Murray, 59, an inspector in charge of Special Patrol Group Unit One at the demo, said: "I know that I did not and I am sure as I can be that my group were not responsible. There is no evidence of my involvement."

Mr Murray, now a university lecturer, denied that he or his colleagues had lied to cover up the truth, adding: "There was no collusion. That is a gross distortion. There is just no evidence of that at all." He said investigating officers "failed to collect any credible evidence, that is the bottom line".

Mr Peach's partner Celia Stubbs, 68, said: "We have been vindicated because we have always said that Blair had been killed by a policeman. I never thought we would get this."

However, she questioned whether lessons had been learned by the Met following the death of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson who was shoved to the ground by a riot squad officer during the G20 protests last year.

She called for a clear acknowledgement by Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson that her partner had been killed by a Met officer. She added: "There was a huge cover up by Unit One of the SPG."

Mr Peach, a 33-year-old special needs teacher from New Zealand, died of head injuries following a demonstration against the National Front in April 1979. It is thought he was hit with a rubberised police radio or a truncheon.

An internal report at the time by Commander John Cass examined the inquiry into his death. Today the document was published and revealed that while Mr Cass failed to identify the identity of the officers involved he concluded they had lied to cover up the truth.

It was revealed that he recommended three officers should be charged with obstructing the police in their inquiries and perverting the course of justice.

No charges were ever brought and no officers were disciplined at the time.

The Met passed the original report into Mr Peach's death to the Crown Prosecution Service last year but lawyers concluded that there was little chance of a successful prosecution.

The original report highlighted the difficulties in identifying the officers involved in Mr Peach's death.

Fourteen witnesses said they saw a police officer hit Mr Peach over the head but few could identify the officer involved. Several officers were put on ID parades but none were picked out.

The report concluded that it was highly likely that one particular police carrier U.11, was at the scene and it was "almost certain" that an officer from that vehicle struck the fatal blow. Six officers were identified and up to three were considered as serious suspects.

However, all denied being responsible. Mr Cass concluded in his report that the accounts of three officers, labelled E, F and H were suspect.

He said their explanations were "seriously lacking" and there was a deliberate attempt to conceal the presence of the police van at the scene. He described their statements as false, saying: "A strong inference that can be drawn from this is that they have conspired together to obstruct police."

Friends of Mr Peach gathered outside Scotland Yard today to read out the names of the six officers inside Special Patrol Group police carrier U.11. The names include five officers serving under Mr Murray. Aged 29 at the time at the time of the death, Mr Murray resigned from the Met in anger at what he believed was an unfair inquiry. He repeated his concerns today saying : "The whole investigation was unsatisfactory. It was poorly conducted."

Sir Paul said: "I am sorry that officers behaved in that way and I am sorry that we have not brought this to a definitive conclusion earlier." He added: "It might be 31 years ago but it is deeply disturbing for the British police service and for the Met." Sir Paul stopped short of admitting that a Met officer had killed Mr Peach. Michael Seifert, a lawyer representing Mr Peach's brothers Roy and Philip, said Sir Paul had not gone far enough, adding: "They have redacted every single name but I know who killed him." Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: It looks as if a Metropolitan police officer has got away with manslaughter. I don't see why these officers should not be called in and re-interviewed." The Met reiterated that despite the findings of the report none of those involved would face further action for Mr Peach's death.